Contributors

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sorry Planet B-Boy, you've been bumped to Number Two. Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler is my favorite film of 2008. Caught a screening last night and despite all of the hype, I wasn't even slightly disappointed. Believe what you hear, it's that good. It's so much more than "Mickey Rourke's Comeback Movie." If a local theater is cool enough to pick this up, thank them by paying the seven bucks and maybe a couple more for Red Vines or whatever sugary/salty/liquid snacks you like best.

Before a real-life friend calls me out on this, I have a confession to make. I love pro wrestling. I did in high school, anyway. Backyard wrestling too. That being said, I still have all my own teeth, literacy is a skill I possess, and NASCAR's appeal has yet to work its charms on me. And even with all of spandex, chair shots, and predetermined winners, wrasslin' happens to be something I know quite a bit about.

Besides the impressive squared-circle scenes, the film captures life outside of the ring just as precisely. Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson (brought to you by the letter "R"), a washed-up has-been with a broken body and a van that doubles as a bedroom when he can't pay the bills.

There's already been so many parallels made between the actor and the character he's playing. I'll toss in my two cents and agree with those comparisons. He used to be a pro boxer with a laundry list of concussions and broken bones. He stopped acting and fell out of the limelight with plenty of people praying for his return. And I'm sure there were plenty of nights where Rourke slept in his car.

It's incredible that the role wasn't written for him specifically. Nic "Bangcock Dangerous" Cage was originally attached to star which, in my opinion, would have drastically hurt the film in ways that only repeated viewings of Con Air could explain.

Go see The Wrestler, it's the best film of the year.Even if you don't like wrestling, go see The Wrestler.Even if you only see it for all the Marisa Tomei boobage...I've said too much.Go see The Wrestler.